St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-12

them IN some cases almost unnteligible,
and suggests that board be created to revise
them. He alludes to the high ability neces-
sary Tor officers of the engineer corps on
which depends the efficiency Of shps-of-
war and regards it as hardly within the
bounds Of possibility that any one man can
be good line officer, engineer and marine
officer No man can gain a sufficient
knowledge of the nautical part Of his
profession by passing half of his time in the
englne-rOOm and the other half on deck. In
considering the question of coast defense the
admiral states that the following harbors are
entirely defenseless against single iron
clad: New York, Boston, San Francisco lake
ports, Hampton Roads and Norfolk, New
Orleans Philadelphia, Washington, Balti-
more, Portland, Me. Rhode Island ports,
hey West Charleston, Mobile Savannah,
Galveston, Pensacola. Wilmington, N. c.;
San Diego, Cal; Portsmouth, n. H.. ;
10 say nothing of many other places Of
greater or less importance. Two heavy IRON
ciads could commence at the Eastern point
ana proceed along the coast to Texas, laying
them all under contribution. In the opinion
OF the admiral the first step toward the pro-
tectlon OF the coast should be the construc-
uon of squadron Of heavy ironclads that
could De ready at week s notice to anchor
on shore and resist an approaching enemy.
II defeated, this force could retire to the pro-
tectlon Of the forts, where united they could
o1fer more than twice the resistance they
could offer singly.
Postofhce Inspector Adsit, in New York,
has sent circular to publishers throughout
the country warning them against an adver
tsing agency called the Empire News Com
pany, managed by c. r. Roberts, of Buffalo,
n. Y. Henry Waldron, one of Roberts
partners, has been arrested. Wadron says
Roberts is in St. Louis, where he has opened
another office, under the name of the West
ern News Company. 1t is alleged that the
concern sends advertisements Of patent med
lcines and other articles to country newspa-
pers, receives all money sent for the pur-
chase OF the articles, but never sends them,
and also neglects to pay for the advertising.
An unknown thief recently entered the
office of the park commissioners in the city
hall at Buffalo, and made off with bag con-
tanning 800 for the payment of park en-
ployees.
James r. Whiteley, a brother of W. n.
Whiteley, the great reaper manufacturer
has committed suicide in Springfield, O., by
shooting himself.
The annual report of General Duane, chief
of engineers, shows that the plan of defense
by mortar and gun batteries recommended
by the board involves an expenditure of S.
o4oOOO during the next fiscal year, which it
is proposed to divide among the ports as fol-
lows: New York $500, 600 San Francisco
s46o, 600 Boston. $3.50, 900; Hampton roads,
$4,000; New Orleans, $4,000; Philadel-
phia, $4,000; Washington O0O0; Balti
more, $50, ,0O0 Portland, s290, 900; Narragan-
sett bay, $3.50, 600. The plan also contem-
plates the preparation Of casemates, cable
shafts, etc, to the number of twenty-six
distributed as follows: At New York, five;
at San Francisco, five; at Boston, five; at
Hampton, two; at Philadelphia, two; at
Washington, one; at Baltimore, one at Port
land three; at Narragansett bay, two.
A meeting of the stockholders of the
Third National Bank of St. Paul, Minn., has
been called to decide whether the bank shall
go into liquidation. The cashier says the
bank is solvent, and the depositors will be
paid dollar for dollar. The deposits reach
nearly $500, 900. The bank holds sos, 900 of
the paper of Rood & Maxwell, the lumber
dealers, who failed recently at Washburn,
Wis. The bank officers say this amount is
covered by attachments made by the bank.
The schedules of Charles l. Brice, whole
sale liquor dealer in New York, show liabili-
ties of $lS7,976 and actual assets of SIT, ,067.
When Mitchell, Vance & Co., of New
York, failed their California agent owed
them $4,000 and went into insolvency.
Recently he proposed to withdraw his insolv-
ency proceedings and turn over all his prop
erty to the creditors, on condition that his
would then end. Judge Don
ohue, in Supreme Court Chambers in New
York, has granted the receiver permission to
accept the offer.
The Supreme Court of California has de-
clared valid and constitutional an ordinance
of the town of ofPasadena, Los Angeles county,
forbidding the sale of liquor. Justice McFar-
land dissented, declaring the ordinance in
conflict with the general laws of the State,
which foster products and manufactures of
The State. and that, as wine is one of the |
chief products, no municipality has the right |
70 prohibit its sale.
The steamer Hondo will sail from New
York for Greytown, Nicaragua, ON Novem-
Der 26, with forty engineers and Ito laborers,
n charge of Civil Engineer Perry. The OBJ
ect is to complete the final location of the
canal route and to prepare
he work of construction that is to be COM
nenced during the winter.
The receipts of the government for Octo-
Der amounted to $31 1903, ,172 and the ex-
'enditures to $12, ,474,652, being an excess of
eceipts of $40, 32s, $40. The decrease in the
public debt fo- October is estimated at $14,-
0( 900.
A dispatch from the City of Mexico says
he treasury department furnishes figures
howing the expectations for the entire fiscal
7ear to amount to $40, 191, 800, a gain
# nearly $6,O0O,000 over the preceding
iscal year, coffee alone being sent to the
United States to the extent of $1,OOOOOO
more than the previous year. Henequin
obacco, vanilla and gum showed marked
Increase in expectation, and will exceed all
'revious figures.